Wise returns to site of greatest feat

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com

CHICAGO -- Dewayne Wise has played for eight different organizations since starting his professional career with the Reds in 1997. But even with a home run for the White Sox during the 2008 playoffs, nothing ever will surpass his ninth-inning, perfect-game saving catch for Mark Buehrle of Gabe Kapler's blast on July 23, 2009.

The 34-year-old hopes to surpass that memorable play after joining the White Sox for a second run, replacing Paul Konerko on the active roster for Saturday's game with the A's. Konerko was placed on the seven-day disabled list after sustaining a concussion in the seventh inning of Tuesday's contest.

Wise was signed as a Minor League free agent on Aug. 3 after the Yankees designated him for assignment when they acquired Ichiro Suzuki from the Mariners. As Wise went home and prepared for the next chapter of his career, he thought about the White Sox.

"I was telling my brother sitting at home, 'Man, what if the White Sox give me a call?'" Wise said. "Just said it out of the blue and a couple of days later my agent told me they called."

Adding Wise gives manager Robin Ventura a little more flexibility and speed off the bench, with Ventura feeling comfortable having Adam Dunn and Kevin Youkilis to handle first base in Konerko's absence. Wise in reserve also gives Ventura a chance to start Jordan Danks, Friday's walk-off hero, and possibly move Dayan Viciedo to designated hitter.

"Yeah. We could start Dewayne, too," Ventura said. "It's one where you could go either way. Again, the flexibility part is what's good."

As for Wise's most memorable moment as a Major League player, captured forever on the U.S. Cellular Field wall in left-center between Billy Pierce and Frank Thomas, Wise said the catch always is a topic of conversation.

"It's something I hear just about every day of the year, especially once the baseball season starts," Wise said. "There's always a fan when I'm on deck or in batting practice, somebody always talking about it. It's a good thing to do something to help the team win."

No plans to shut down Quintana, Sale

CHICAGO -- As first-year starter Chris Sale and rookie rotation member Jose Quintana breeze past single-season innings highs, there remains no plan from the White Sox to shut down either of these talented hurlers at a preset total.

"I'm not thinking about that in the least right now. Not in the least," White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper told MLB.com on Saturday. "All we are doing now is we are going to run them out there and continue to take care of them, monitoring all the stuff we've done all year.

"I don't envision us pulling them or stopping them at all. We are in a pennant race. But our eyes will tell us what's going on."

Cooper likes what his eyes told him about Sale's last start, coming after a nine-day break, and Quintana's last start, coming after an eight-day respite. Both looked "fresher" after the White Sox backed them off.

Although Cooper has talked about going to the whip for a strong, uninterrupted finishing kick from the White Sox staff, he understands that uninterrupted part might not play out for Sale and Quintana.

"If we need to skip a start, if we need to back them off a day, give them an extra day, we may do that," Cooper said. "If we think we need to do something, we are going to do that. Right now, there's no thought of it."

The velocity on Sale's fastball hitting 95 or even 96 mph during Monday's victory was a strong indication that the southpaw worked through a dead-arm period. But Cooper has been impressed by the way Sale succeeds without his best stuff.

"Sale has pitched a lot of good games without throwing 95 or 96. That's part of it," said Cooper of Sale, who has thrown 132 innings. Quintana's total of 139 1/3 between the White Sox and Double-A Birmingham rushed past his previous high of 102.

"On that day, when you go out there, you got what you got," Cooper added. "I don't care who you are: rookie, veteran or whatever. It may not be the 'A' stuff. You still have to make the 'B' stuff work."

Dunn to fill in for Konerko at first base

CHICAGO -- With Paul Konerko out of action at least until Friday in Kansas City because of a mild concussion, Adam Dunn will move into regular work at first base. Dunn has not committed an error over 32 games at first base this season, looking more comfortable at the spot than he did during 2011.

"He's played well," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura, terming Dunn's first-base defense somewhere between Gold Glove-caliber and a liability. "It's that and him getting out there.

"It's better for him to play than it is to DH. People think it's easy to DH, but it's not. The rhythm and the timing of playing, I think that helps him to get out there and play."

Konerko was scheduled to check in with the White Sox and head athletic trainer Herm Schneider on Saturday, but Ventura said that the captain would not be traveling to Toronto with the team Sunday night. He's not supposed to do anything, so Konerko's absence could conceivably last longer than seven days before MLB approves a return.

"They're going to have to go through their channels of testing him and sending people to make sure he's all right and tests fine and is going to be able to play," Ventura said. "I guess it's more how he sleeps. I think he had problems sleeping the first night and even going from there he's going to have to start moving around and running again.

"There's going to be little steps he's going to have to take to get cleared. I don't think it's going to be as easy as picking seven days and thinking that's going to be it."

Konerko sustained the concussion when struck in the right temple by Jarrod Dyson's left elbow during a seventh-inning play at first Tuesday against the Royals.

"That's really cool. I'd feel the same way. I can remember back when he pitched that 'blackout' game [in 2008] and watching that game, and the celebration afterwards. I remember the way I felt and I'm sure that's how he felt."

Danks became the second player in White Sox history whose first career homer was a game-ender, according to Elias. Dave Gallagher also did the job in 1988.

 Baltimore has set a start time at 11:35 p.m. CT for an Aug. 30 contest at Camden Yards with the White Sox. There was previously no start time for the series finale.

 According to Elias, Friday's 4-3 victory was the fifth in White Sox history in which they scored four or more runs and all came via solo homers. The last time it happened was July 7, 2001, in a 4-1 victory over the Pirates.

 The White Sox are 16-9 against the American League West.

 A.J. Pierzynski extended his hitting streak to 12 games with two hits during Saturday's 9-7 loss to the A's.

 Saturday's loss dropped the White Sox to 3-43 in games when they trail in the eighth inning.

Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Merk's Works, and follow him on Twitter @scottmerkin. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.